Watching Over the Dead

[zane]

Zane spiraled down in lazy circles, perching on a barren stump. Below, on the dust-covered ground, he spied skeletons and rotting corpses of hyenas.

A rotting smell filled the air as an updraft of wind blew itself in Zane's direction. He tilted his head downward, attempting to avoid the smell while muttering a prayer for the hyenas lost.

"Golden wings of Zephyr, carry you among the pack of your brave kin who have lost their lives here. Hold you in high spirits and may you watch over your kind forevermore. I do so swear upon my talons."

Zane opened his eyes and nodded to himself. Hyenas may not be related to him in any way, but he still felt a sense of loss for them and any other animal.

With a final glance over the battlefield, Zane let out a low whistle and burst into flight. He soared, making his way along the the broad Hyena Packlands.

[Siaka]

Siaka walked up, only slightly noticing the bird above her head. She laid a paw upon one of the skeletons, the smell did not bother her in the least. She laid down beside it, putting her head on the bones. This was one of her pack mates, whoes life has been claimed in a tragic hunting accident when only one hyena had come back that day. A lion raid party had killed them, two adult hyenas she was close too.
"I am sorry I never got to know you better, I barley knew you then, then, the hunting accident," She lowered her head, howling loudly. She might've not been in the canine family, but that didn't mean hyenas were not cabable of howling. She heard the loud screech of the eagle, she hoped suddenly that it was not a vulture. Muscles tensed, she jerked her head back, but Siaka relaxed when she saw it was only the eagle she had spotted minutes before.

[zane]

Spotting Siaka, Zane slowly carved back through the wind, fluttering down to the ground close to her.

"Hello, Hyena. I see you have come here too, to remember those lost. Did you know this one?"

Zane looked straight into Siaka's eyes, sensing sadness and despair.

[Siaka]

Siaka stiffened, but turned around looking straight at the eagle. Usually such birds did not talk to other animals. "Yes, I knew him. He was killed in a hunting accident when I was two and a half months old. Only one hyena came back that day, told us that he and two others had been killed by a lion raid party," She looked back at the skeleton, one of the ribs was broken from the lion attacking him she expected.

The bones were bleached white from the sun, but still had some blood on them, dried blood. This is where the heynas put their dead usually, even if they hadn't died from battle. There were fresh carcasses rotting, from a recent battle there was between lions that had intruded in the territory to murder pups. One more vile thing lions did.

[zane]

"I share your sorrow, Hyena. Let us hope this time of warring will end." He walked a bit around Siaka, examining her and the bones of her deceased pack mate.

"Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Zane, I'm a free flyer, scouting the lands and helping those in need. May I ask your name?"

[Siaka]

"I am Siaka, born to a high ranking female in my pack. This war will never end, countless pups have been killed due to the cold hearts of the lions. We hyenas never have done anything to them. We have heard rumor from animals at the watering hole that wanderer hyenas have been scented there," Siaka clawed the dirt, wanderers made it hard for her kind. Why did they have to? Sure, some wanderers were her kind. But that didn't mean she had to particularly like them, they only caused trouble. Siaka rubbed a scar on her throat from a run in with a young teenage lion. Beastly creature it was, she could've killed him fore he was barley out of cubhood. But hyenas had their honor.

[zane]

"I suppose. But how are the lions to know whether the hyena itself is a wanderer or pack member? Perhaps you should send someone - an ambassador - to settle all of this? Maybe I could be of some assistance? I'd do whatever it takes to make peace in the Savanna."

[Siaka]

"Any hyena in lion territory is to be killed on sight, there is no way to get free passage through their territory. It would be suicide to do so," Siaka sadly shook her head, spotted peltage rippeling. It was true, all was from the watering hole. No animal's presance was questioned there, that was the only place where to enemy species were safe from attack. She had heard a male leader lion talking to a group of others. Thanks to her large ears, they were able to pick up what they were discussing, without them asking her why she was listening to their battle plans.

[zane]

Zane lifted his head proudly, his golden eyes glinting.

"That's where I come in. The skies and winds are my passage, and the lions cannot do anything about that! If I were to travel to them and explain that the hyenas in their lands are mere wanderers, we may find some way to compromise."

[Siaka]

"Oh, I doubt they would listen to reason. The vile curs have no sense of honor," Siaka spat on the ground and growled. They didn't care a lick weather an eagle talked to them or not. Besides, the would demand a hyena discuss it, then probably turn around and kill it. That was there ways, some said respect all creatures ways. She tried, but how was that exactly possible when one of those creatures killed many of her packmates? Made sense didn't it? It at least did to her, maybe not to other, but in her own mind it did.

[zane]

"Well, you can't say I didn't try." He said in a bright tone.

"As for me, I'm starving. Know of any good hunting grounds near here?"

[Siaka]

"For eagles? Not really, as being a hyena I only know the land predator hunting grounds. I do not even know what eagles eat, all I know they are also carnivores," Siaka shrugged and looked around, she didn't know what birds ate. Except vultures, she knew what they ate, they ate carrion, and the bodies of lost pack mates, and prey. They were beastly smelling birds, with personalities to match. She had met a few, and tried to fight them off from her kill. Siaka had to admit birds were pretty hefty creatures, even if they had hollow bones.

[zane]

"Oh we eat all sorts of things. Insects, small mammals... I myself will even eat the occasional berry or two. Thank you anyway, Siaka."

Zane looked out to the horizon and, with a few good power flaps, raised himself into the air and onto the wind.

"I'll be heading back to my own lands for a nice morning hunt. If you ever need me, I'll be around."